our favorite cyborg [Zack Freedman] You’ve been stumbling over a common problem many of us are all too familiar with: tool storage and optimal tool retrieval. His solution is Gridfinity: a modular workshop organization system.
In [Zack]In the words of, the perfect workshop has tools and materials organized in the following way: (a) each item has a dedicated home within easy reach of where you will use it. (b) the items are exposed and in position for instant capture. (c) The storage system protects you from accidents such as spills and injuries. (d) It is easy to set up and easy to reposition and rearrange. An instant access storage solution like Gridfinity is designed not to help you store more stuff, but to get more projects done. The idea is very simple: display your stuff so you can quickly find what you need and get back to the project as quickly as possible. We think these goals are pretty spot on!
From an implementation perspective, the system consists of a 3D printed motherboard with a grid structure. It has an internal angle for the storage bins to drop in, but they are not easy to pull out. The storage units fall into the grid in various sizes and orientations so that everything is contained within the outer boundary of the grid, so the entire assembly fits inside a drawer with ease. Small parts storage bins have a curved interior surface that allows for easy removal of a part when needed. A partial lid on top allows them to be stacked vertically if needed.
While the system is in progress, there are still around a hundred different storage units, for anything from 3D printer nozzles to gripper racks. Implemented as parameterized models in Fusion360, it’s easy to modify existing models for your stuff, or create entirely new ones, from the templates provided.
No discussion of tool organization would be complete without first considering the king of tool organization. [Adam Savage], the first-order recovery principle is strong. For a more direct solution, you can go the pegboard-on-wheels route, or perhaps if you’re less mobile and in a bind, then get comfortable with the French cleat and build something totally custom right into the walls. Whatever solution you come up with, share it with us!
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